The pandemic has forever altered our working lives and our concept of the workplace. IIS Space explains
The post pandemic reality has left our expectations around work and the office fundamentally changed. As the workplace keeps evolving and we gradually adapt to this new reality, the collective focus is on the creation of a futureproof workplace – the Hybrid 2.0 Future Office.
In the future office, a strong focus will inevitably be placed on balance, wellbeing, technology and synergy. These key productivity and collaboration drivers are fundamental for talent retention and can all be achieved through workplace design.
Synergies bring people together, chance encounters, challenges and victories while enabling innovation. Inevitably it is those with the inherent ability to innovate that have greater success. And innovations come about when people are in the same space. Video conferencing technology is currently unable to bridge the physical space between humans and their need to come together.
The future office space will require new hubs of collaboration as well as private and flexible spaces where innovation and synergy can thrive. Ever changing, easily modified and fragmented spaces that not only enable but excite. The workplace needs to be a destination. When faced with working from home choices, companies need to make the office a place of preference where employees are constantly stimulated and excited by their working environment.
Whilst the risk of future lockdowns may have ebbed, somewhat businesses must consider the possibility of future pandemics when developing a model for the office of the future – a space built around the physical and mental health of staff.
From strong branding to design elements, the future office will be inspired by hospitality and will be designed to bring employees a sense of belonging and identity. Whilst there will always be a need for both private and collaboration spaces, offices will be adjustable, flexible spaces that inspire creativity.
Tech is key. Mobility through technology will ensure many desktop stations become redundant as laptops and mobiles will deliver all the agility people need. The next generation of office space will require seamless levels of access along with contactless journeys into and out of the workplace and its software.
Wellbeing, the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy, has become a key area of corporate focus over the past year. With a direct correlation between how we feel and how we function, the future workplace will be constructed, designed and managed with wellness at its core. Whether it’s the provision of natural light, biophilic elements, wellness spaces, or increased outdoor space, companies who genuinely believe in the benefits of listening to their people, attending to their needs and delivering wellbeing in the workplace will find themselves in pole position.
Whilst the we are still in the process of shaping the office of the future, it’s clear that the traditional office model we are accustomed to is dead. No matter the type of workplace, going back to work post pandemic means not going back to the same desk, structure, and social norms that we left.